Mail-carrier.



J. W. WHITE. MAIL CARRIER. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11, 1909.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. W. WHITE.

MAIL CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.11, 1909.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. WHITE, OF CLAY CITY, INDIANA.

MAIL-CARRIER.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. WHITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clay City, in the county of Clay and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Carriers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to certain new and useful improvements in mail carriers.

The object of my invention is to provide a mail carrying apparatus, arranged to be used in connection with the present system of rural mail delivery, where the mail receiving boxes into which the postman deposits the mail is at a distance from a final point of delivery.

A further object is to provide a light, neat, and readily operated mechanism, whereby a mail receiving box may be propelled from the point of delivery upon a rural route to a residence or place of busi ness, at a point distant to said point of delivery.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the specific structure shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar part-s in the several views, Figure 1 shows an elevational view of a mail carrier embodying my invention. Fig. 2 shows a top view of the platform at the receiving end. Fig. 3 shows an end view of the receiving platform. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail showing the method of suspending the cables. Fig. 5 shows a face view of one of the brackets. Fig. 6 shows a sectional detail of one of the signal holding clamps.

In the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1O designates the two base frame bars used at the receiving end of the line. These base members are secured by means of the transverse bars 11, 12, and 13. Stepped into these base frame bars 10, are the end posts 14, the intermediate posts 15 and the terminal supporting transversely held bars 16 and 17. The end posts 14, are braced by means of the side bars 18 which at their Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 11, 1909.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

Serial No. 527,397.

lower ends are secured to the base members 10.

Slidably held upon the transverse members 16 and 17 is the platform 20, this platform being provided with a plurality of pin openings 21, near one end and with the bearing ears 22 at the other end, two such bearing ears being employed.

Upon their inner faces and resting upon the platform 20, are the stop cleats 23 and 24 which prevent the platform from tilting or moving upward. As shown, the platform is held in a slightly inclined position, so that this platform will readily drain. Held to the bearing ears 22, is the arbor carrying the sheave 25, the arbor 26 being revolubly held within the bearing ears. Removably held within the pin openings 21 is the adjusting pin 26 as clearly disclosed in Fig. 3.

As disclosed the vertical members 14, and 15, are used in sets of twos and are held in parallel spaced relation. Connecting these members 14 and 15, at their upper ends are the horizontally disposed rails 27 which at one end are secured by means of the end bar 28. The structure just described is erected at the point where the postman deposits the mail. At the point where the mail is finally received which may be at a residence or place of business, I erect a supporting frame comprising the two similar base members 30, which are connected at their ends by means of the transversely held bars 31 and 32. Extending from these members 30 are the two similar standards 33 which are rigidly held by means of the brace bars 34, which at their lower ends are secured to the base members 30. At their upper ends these standards are braced by means of the bar 35, while transversely held below this top bar 35, is the shaft supporting bar 36. This bar 36, carries the bearing straps, which support the tension shaft 38, having the operating crank 39, as clearly disclosed.

Erected at suitable points between the receiving platform and the standard are a plurality of posts 40, each post at its upper end carrying a track wire supporting bracket 41, having its end upturned as shown at 42, and a sheave bracket 43. Each sheave bracket is slotted near its lower end as shown at 44 and ends in a securing screw 45, extending at right angles to the bracket proper as clearly disclosed in Fig. 4. The upper end of the bracket is also slotted as shown at 46 and ends in the outwardly directed divergently held arms 47 and 48, the arm l8, ending in the securing car 49, provided with a perforation arranged to receive the securing screw 50, as clearly disclosed. Held within the lower slot la, is the sheave 55, while held within the upper forked end 46, of the bracket is the sheave Secured near the lower ends of the standards 33, is the driving shaft 52, held within the bearing straps 53, this driving shaft being provided with the operating crank 56. Fixed to this shaft- 52, is the driving wheel 57.

Extending from the end bar 28, to the bar 36, is a track wire 58, this track wire at the points intermediate marked by the posts 50, being secured to the upstanding ends 42, of the brackets 41. One end of this track wire is securely fastened within the end bar 28, while the remaining end of the wire is securely fixed to the shaft 37, which shaft is employed as a tension mechanism to hold the track wire taut. The operating crank 39, of this tension shaft is supported upon a removably held pin 9, held within an opening adjacent to the bar 36. In order to revolve the crank the operator removes the pin 9, gives the wire the required tension, and then reinserts the pin to properly hold the shaft.

Passing over the terminal sheave 25, the bracket sheaves 5A and 55, and finally over the driving wheel 57, is the endless traction wire 60, by means of which the mail carrying receptacle is propelled from one end of the track to the other. This driving wheel 57 it is of course understood, is located at the residence or place of business where the mail is to be finally delivered.

The proper tension is impartedto the traction wire by means of the slidably held platform 20, which is shoved outwardly against the tension of the wire, until the de sired degree of stability has been obtained,

when the pin 26, is inserted within one of the pin openings 21, to again firmly secure the platform.

The mail receiving receptacle is preferably of metal and comprises an oblong housing 63, having the rounded bottom 64;, and the lock provided door 65 as clearly indicated in Fig. l.

Secured to the bottom of the mail receiving receptacle is the securing ear 69, by means of which this mail carrying housing is secured to the endless traction wire. Secured to the top 70, are the two similar sheave brackets 71, which have the outwardly directed stop shoulder forming portions 72, arranged to travel below the track wire 58, as disclosed in Fig. 4. The upper end of each bracket is recurved and provided with a pin 74, carrying a track sheave 75, two

receive the mail, may be invisible from the point where the mail is finally deposited, I provide a signal in the form of a flag 76, carried upon the staff 77, which stalf is secured to the traction wire by means of two clamps 80, which clamps are held together by means of the thumb screw 81. The stafi 77 is secured to the traction wire in such a manner that this staff will be held at a tangent and in a vertical posit-ion adjacent to the driving wheel 57, when the mail receiving receptacle is in its proper receiving position, at the receiving end of the line.

As the traction wires are held within the slots 44-, and the forked ends 46, of the brackets, these wires cannot become detached from the supporting sheave. The track wire further is securely fixed to the brackets 41, so that this wire is also securely held.

From the foregoing it will be seen, that the main structural advantages of my invention reside in the especially constructed sheave carrying brackets 43, and the tension adjusting mechanisms, including the slidably held platform, and the peculiarly con structed carrying brackets 71, having the outstanding stop shoulder forming portions 72. v

The operation of my device is extremely simple. Previous to the time when the postman is to deposit the mail, the receptacle is sent to the receiving end. This is accomplished in operating the driving wheel 57, until the signal flag indicates that the receptacle has arrived at the receiving end. At any time then after it is known that the postman has passed the box, the wheel is again revolved in an opposite direction, however, to return the receptacle to its original starting point.

The stafl 7 '7, carrying the flag is preferably in the form of a piece of wire so that the same will readily pass through the slots 44, to which the flag 76, also trails. The staff is so secured to the traction wire, that at the receiving end the same will be held in a horizontal position, and there serving as a signal to disclose the location of a mail delivering point.

The device is light, neat, simple of con struction, and may be operated, with ease, accuracy and dispatch.

A short tube pointed at each end, is se cured by means of a band to the carrier on top wire, one end being fixed with a hinge, to raise upward, to receive the mail or package from the mail carrier.

And having thus described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a supporting frame, of a slidably held platform, means to adjust-ably secure said platform, a sheave carried by said platform, a standard, a driving wheel carried by said standard, means to rotate said driving wheel, a supporting bracket, an upper sheave carried by said supporting bracket, a lower sheave carried by said supporting bracket, and an endless traction wire passing over said platform sheave, said driving wheel, and said upper and lower sheaves.

2. A bracket comprisin an oblong member having a centrally cisposed slot, and ending above in a forked portion terminating into divergently held prongs, and at its lower end terminating in a securing screw extending at right angles to the major portion of said bracket, a sheave within said slot, a sheave within said forked end, one of said prongs being continued and ending in a perforated securing ear, said securing car being held in alinement with said screw end, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination in a device of the character described, of a supporting frame, a platform slidably carried by said frame, means to adjustably secure said platform,

a sheave carried by said platform, a supporting standard, a driving wheel carried by said standard, a suitably supported bracket having an intermediately positioned slot and a forked upper end continued in two outstanding prongs, a sheave held within said forked end, a sheave within said slot, one of said prongs terminating in a perforated securing ear, said bracket below ending in a securing screw, an endless traction wire passing over said platform sheave, said driving wheel, and said bracket sheaves, a track wire secured to said supporting frame and said standard, a receptacle having two brackets secured to its top, each bracket having an outstanding stop shoulder, a sheave carried by each top bracket above its stop shoulder to engage said track wire, and a clamp carried by said receptacle and secured to said endless traction wire, all arranged as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN V. WHITE.

Witnesses:

CHAS. MORGEL, FRANK A. HORNER. 

